spoilt ......

Such a lovely, unexpected surprise in my mail last week!!!!  My online friend Robin has made up this little gift of wonderful hand dyed fabrics and ribbon for me.  Beautiful old damasks dyed, lovely flocked organza's.  I cant wait to use them.  Amongst the fabrics were three of Robins beautiful scrappy moons (maybe they are flowers, rosette's.... to me they are moons)  and a funky hanging heart!  Thank you Robin for such  beautiful gifts and your lovely words.

Close up of the funky heart and raggedy moons .....

Already one of the raggedy moons has found its way onto my cloth, click for a closer look.  This week I have been stitching my cloth again....Horses are a big part of our life, so this Magic Pony made an appearance under Robin's beautiful moon.  And above the moon, hovers a rainbow bird, another reference to Aboriginal art. (It is not quite finished in this pic.  but he is in real life).  Lots more stitching has been added to the background this week too as I have been following the TAST blog.....

Also,  my dear friend Dot had organised to take me for a special lunch at http://www.heavengastrolounge.com.au/.  We met early and went for a walk around the beautiful old gardens close by.  It was a hot day,  so we stopped and had a lovely cool Lemon Lime and Bitters in the gardens of  an old beer house before we headed across to the restaurant. 
Amazing food......delicate prawn fritters with Asian salad for entree,  my all time favourtie Pepper Steak for main with the most subtle horseradish cream, leafy greens and wonderful baked potato cube.  But the best was last... the lightest lemongrass pannecotte with fresh berries and lychees.  Beautiful food and a day out with a lovely friend.... spoilt rotten.

Last weekend I spent the weekend with my lovely sister Lee.  Part of my Christmas present from Lee was a one day workshop with one of my favourite artists  Sarah Gabriel at the St. Agnes Homestead in Kyneton.  Bliss.....make sure you click on the link to view her drawings and paintings...just beautiful and the most wonderful teacher.  It was so nice to do the workshop with my sister Lee.

Lee and her husband have just bought a little house in Trentham (close to Kyneton) where we stayed, so prior to the workshop we visited some lovely shops, galleries and eateries close by.  We had some lovely sister time.  Pop on the link above to see some of Sarah's gorgeous art and then over to Lee's blog to see some photos of the homestead where we spent the day.  Next post I will have some photos of the class to share (and maybe a snippet of our art).

WHEN  I  LET  GO

OF  WHAT I  AM,

I BECOME

WHAT I MIGHT BE.

LAO TZU

Enjoy your week.

Jacky xox

still making marks......

Most evenings this week I have managed to do some stitching for my cloth for the Magic Diaries  with Jude.   Slow, meditative, simple stitching .......  I am still taken with a lot of the mark making I see in aboriginal art and  I am continuing with that in this piece below.

The connected circles.... a recurring image in many pieces of aboriginal art and my raggedy star, representing a night sky.

I am also taking part in Peggy's Moon making over here.....the above moons on the left side of the fabric were made by using a paste resist and then dyeing in indigo which I learnt in a workshop with Ro Bruhn.  These moons will find their way onto my cloth soon.

A  snow themed tag to Tag Tuesday which Carlolyn Saxby is hosting.

GO TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE,

AND THE RESOURCES WILL FOLLOW.

-SARK-

Jacky xox

Gathering ......

Well Christmas is done and dusted for another year.  I hope  your Christmas Day was as happy and peaceful as mine.....it was perfect.  Lovely company, yummy food,  lots of  laughter...so good.

.

Our Christmas Table ...before we messed it all up.

Today I began gathering together all of my patches and samples I was stitching last year when I joined in the Magic Diaries 1 with Jude Hill.    because today I begin Magic Diaries 2.  It was time to bring together some of my pieces and begin the process of melding them into my quilt.  It was nice to have them out, to feel the weight of them,  to touch the stitching....to imagine what it might become.

Gathering the elements ....The cirlces....inspired by Judy Martin

The Woodland Spirit inspired by a trip to Switzerland and the woodland and trees below inspired by Jude.  The marked cloth at the back inspired by Aboriginal art, mark making.

Not sure what the layout will be as yet,  but it has helped laying it on the table to take a look at what might work.  There are more naive stars in the making,  more little marked stitched squares as fillers and I think I might make some more of the cirles...lots to think about.

close up stitched tree shapes and embroidered winter tress.  The little fabric scrap with the trees and house were gifted by a friend in in WA.  It reminded me of homes I saw in Switzerland.

Welcome to 2012 .... Expect Wonderful Things to Happen!

Jacky xox